Holocaust education in Brussels schools faces rising tensions amid Gaza war

Teachers struggle to address Holocaust history as students increasingly link it to the war in Gaza.

A girl holds a banner with a doll reading "Stop Gaza Holocaust" during a protest against Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza, in Brussels, on January 11, 2009. Photo by Benoit Doppagne/Belga

By Anna Fadiah and Hayu Andini

Holocaust education in Brussels schools has become more complicated in the wake of Israel’s war in Gaza, prompting some students to interrupt lessons and teachers to rethink how they address World War II history. Holocaust education in Brussels schools—is now more than a pedagogical concern; it has become a flashpoint for emotional, political, and generational conflict.

At a school event in Brussels a few months ago, 82-year-old Holocaust survivor Arthur Langerman was recounting his personal trauma to high school students—how he lost much of his family and narrowly escaped a Nazi raid. But he was interrupted mid-sentence by two Muslim girls in the audience. “It’s a genocide, and it’s been happening for 75 years,” one of them said, referencing Gaza rather than the Holocaust. What followed was not just a debate—it was a raw, emotionally charged exchange that symbolized the growing challenge educators face.

Olivier Blairon, the students’ history teacher, observed the moment with a mix of concern and reflection. Teaching Holocaust history at a school in Koekelberg, a Brussels district with a large Moroccan-descent population, Blairon is no stranger to complex discussions. Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel, which led to Israel’s massive military response in Gaza, Blairon has seen a shift in how his students perceive Jewish history. Many now identify with Palestinian suffering and equate the state of Israel with Jewish people globally.

“I have heard anti-Semitic remarks,” Blairon admitted. “Some of my students confuse Jews with Israel. Others are just trying to be provocative. But I take the time to unpack their assumptions.”

Holocaust dialogue meets generational and political friction

Langerman’s school visit, which took place at the CCLJ—Brussels’ secular Jewish community center—highlighted the difficulty of separating historical facts from modern geopolitical conflicts. The school event was attended by many of Blairon’s students, and the heated exchange during Langerman’s talk served as a microcosm of broader societal struggles.

“The October 7 attacks have made it incredibly hard to talk about the Holocaust in schools,” said Nicolas Zomersztajn, co-director of the CCLJ. He noted that Jewish institutions are often expected to speak on Israel’s military actions, even though they are separate from the state.

Meanwhile, the Brussels Jewish Museum—already marked by tragedy from a 2014 jihadist attack that killed four—has seen a drop in student visits. Some schools cancelled outings, others reported sick students or devised excuses to avoid Jewish cultural sites. Frieda Van Camp, an educator at the museum, described this pattern as a new and worrying development.

Rising anti-Semitism adds to teacher anxieties

The war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’ October attack that killed 1,218 people in Israel, has led to a catastrophic death toll in the Palestinian territory—over 50,800 mostly civilian deaths to date. But the impact has also rippled through European societies. Belgium's anti-discrimination agency, Unia, recorded 91 anti-Semitic incidents in just two months following the Hamas attack—already surpassing the total count for the entire previous year.

The Jewish community in Belgium is small, about 30,000 people, but faces increasing hostility. A May 2024 poll revealed that roughly one in seven Belgians feel “antipathy” toward Jews. Prejudice was especially prevalent among those identifying with far-left or far-right ideologies, as well as within some Muslim communities.

This toxic environment has forced educators into a defensive position. “You can feel the tension the moment you bring up the Holocaust,” said Ina Van Looy, who leads an anti-discrimination initiative at the CCLJ. For many teachers, she added, even planning a visit to a Jewish site now requires careful consideration and emotional fortitude.

A fractured but persistent effort in Brussels schools

Following the disruption during Langerman’s speech, Van Looy personally intervened to mediate and de-escalate the tension. She later agreed to visit Blairon’s school to speak specifically about genocide, aiming to clarify historical definitions and distinctions. “These young people are hurting. They’re angry. We have to listen to them,” she told AFP.

In Belgium, Holocaust education is officially mandated. By the end of high school, all students are expected to understand the Nazi genocide of six million Jews. Visits to sites like Fort Breendonk and the Kazerne Dossin transit camp are a routine part of this instruction. Students also participate in installing stolpersteine—memorial stones embedded in sidewalks to honor Jews murdered by the Nazis.

Between 1942 and 1944, around 25,000 Jews were deported from Belgium to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Fewer than 2,000 survived. These facts are central to the curriculum, but the emotional resonance is being complicated by current events.

In Anderlecht, another Brussels district with a significant Muslim population, two primary school principals recently declined to have their students participate in a stolpersteine ceremony. Bella Swiatlowski, from the Belgian association for Holocaust remembrance, said the principals feared backlash. “They felt it was not fair to impose that during the height of the Gaza conflict,” she explained.

The move drew quiet controversy. Neither school leader agreed to speak with the press, but Anderlecht’s mayor later intervened to ensure both schools were symbolically represented in the ceremony.

Education amid polarization

Cobblestones known as "stones of memory" are seen prepared for installation on a street in Brussels during a commemoration marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp, on January 27, 2025. Photo by Nicolas Tucat/AFP

In January, dozens of students from primary and secondary schools laid white roses during a stolpersteine event marking the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation. The moment was solemn and powerful. But behind the ceremony lies a troubling question: Can historical memory survive the weight of modern conflict?

Brussels’ deputy mayor for education, Faouzia Hariche, herself of Algerian descent, praised teachers who continue Holocaust instruction despite backlash. “It takes courage to continue teaching in the face of fear and misunderstanding,” she said. “Some teachers hesitate—but we need to equip them with the tools and support to keep going.”

Holocaust education in Brussels schools is not vanishing, but it is undeniably evolving. In a city shaped by migration, identity politics, and global events, classrooms are no longer neutral zones. They are arenas of clashing narratives—where history is not only taught, but also contested.

As Belgium confronts the legacy of the Holocaust alongside the realities of present-day war, the role of the teacher is as vital—and as challenging—as ever.